House of Cards
by Eternal Tiet
Summary: He had built his house of cards. It was beautiful and grotesque. It was both intricate and simple. It was built by the blood and the fears of others; nobody would truly appreciate the beauty in his ascent.


Dark and bitter look at the Final Fantasy VIII characters through the eyes of a madman. Warning: dark themes, violence and language.

_After 17 years of suffering, my chance has finally arrived!__  
__(I'll be the ruler of this Garden someday!)_**  
**_**--**_**_Nida, _****_Final Fantasy VIII (Disk one)_**

House of Cards

(They all fall down)

On the day he became a SeeD, if you asked the majority of Garden what weapon Nida used, most had no clue. Many could not even put a face with the name.

_Nida Who? Is that a first or a last name? Did he (or she) just transfer here?_

Weak. Pathetic_._ Too eager to please; too eager to stand out. That's what Nida would say of Garden. All of them. Even the ones who acted as if they didn't want to be noticed, they did. He knew it. He could stand back among the shadows and observe: strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, but above all…their fears. He could sense those the best.

It was a mad spiral into decent, his own hell from which he would never escape. (_Nida who?) _They would know, they would **all** know in time. He controlled the cards of his own fate; the deck was his for the taking.

_**Jack - Honor**_

The first to fall would be Xu. She was not the easiest target by far, but her ability to hold Garden together could be a liability. During the conflict between Norg and the Headmaster she never wavered. Her loyalty worn upon her breast like a medal. _Headstrong. Proud._ She had no ambitions of her own; she lived in the shadowed success of others. _Pitiable. Foolish._

She was their puppet, now she would unknowingly be his.

(Xu's weakness: honor)

It was a simple mission. She had been given the orders (of course by Nida's hand.) A dozen junior cadets on the edge of Timber's Roshfall Forest. Enter from the west; the east is heavily inhabited by a nest of Ochus. Avoid that area at all costs. The young children would not stand a chance against the stronger enemies. They only needed a low level Grendel for a Dragon Fin. Xu read the orders. She re-read the orders. She was efficient. So they entered from the west.

It only took a few minutes before the first scream. Then a second. Then… too many.

They had wandered into the nest. Several students were attacked, too inexperienced to fight back. _Collateral damage. Dispensable._ Six already dead. Three mortally wounded. One SeeD in the middle of the carnage. She couldn't save them all. Xu and two students made it back to the vehicle, the rest twisted and mutilated in the tentacles of the Ochus. (The monsters strong. The humans weak.)

Xu could barely drag herself back to Garden, replaying the nightmare in her head. She reported back to Commander Leonhart. His expression a mixture of disgust (_at her_) and horror (_at her incompetence_). He had given her precise instructions not to enter from the west.

He was wrong; he had to be. The Commander had mistyped the order; she had read it – twice. She went back to her desk and reread the order - again.

Enter from the east; the west is heavily inhabited by a nest of Ochus. Avoid that area at all costs.

She **had** read it wrong. (She _had_ read it right.) She would never know. _Beautiful. Poetic._ They still didn't know his name yet. _Nida who? _

It was her fault, all her fault.

She couldn't face their parents - if they had any. She couldn't face their friends - they had many. Xu could not face the reflection in the mirror. _Guilt. Self-loathing._ It was an ordinary day when she left. At least, to Nida it was. The others felt the ripple of her actions, Nida only felt anticipation. Her departure was swift; she needed time away. Cid would give it to her. That is what Cid was - spineless. He wouldn't question her reasons. He only accepted her resignation with a bowed head.

She did the noble thing; she left and accepted the blame. It was her honor, it was her custom. It was her demise.

Xu. (They all fall…)

_**Queen – Insecurity**_

Next would be Quistis. She would be almost too easy, not enough of a challenge to even be considered entertaining. Her hand had already been revealed years prior. She was pathetic in her existence. Not even worth the oxygen wasted on her breath. No instructor should be filled with such self-doubt and pity. _Insubstantial_. _Vain._

(Quistis' weakness: insecurity)

Nida had gone into the 'Balamb Garden Network' and started anonymously posting about Instructor Trepe. Simple things at first, like how 'he as her student' had failed an exam because they had not gone over the proper material. Next as another student, he echoed the same sentiment, saying Garden had been right to revoke her license. After a while, enough students caught on and somehow found a way to blame all their educational failures on her incompetence. When it garnered a lot of attention and animosity, he made sure one of her friends was to discover the posts. (Selphie his next unknowing puppet). He had mentioned (only in passing) his 'concern' for his former instructor. He wanted to make sure that she was not listening to negativity being posted. _Frail. Unskilled._

Just as he suspected (_he knew_) Selphie ran to Quistis, although she tried to keep the information to herself. The little girl (_his puppet_) broke after only two days. He had counted on that, he knew that Selphie would eventually fold. The weak cling together.

After the next training mission, it came full circle. A young cadet failed another test and confronted her. He was loud and aggressive (also a puppet in Nida's play. A few words here, a prod there.) In the cafeteria he verbally berated her, though others tried to stop him. Quistis let the student say his peace. It was her (_one of many_) weaknesses.

Eventually, she started to believe in her failure. She looked back at her past record and questioned everything. Without Xu there for support, (unwavering and loyal) Quistis started to second guess every decision made. With the newfound student body's emotion clearly out shadowing the Trepies, the (_so-called_) instructor folded to pressure.

It was only a month after when she announced her sabbatical from teaching – her sabbatical from Garden. Cid again, (_the fool_) did not question, but expressed his regret and said 'he understood.'

Cid understood nothing.

Quistis. (They all fall…)

_**King – Resentment**_

Quistis and Xu were gone; they had always been the (_pathetic bastard's_) Headmaster's support. Cid seemed as if he needed to find a reason to show up every day. It was getting to him, the constant stench of blood and death. He had been doing this too long. Nida saw the hatred growing in his eyes. The look (_was beautiful_) beyond words.

The Headmaster confided in Nida one day, "The applications… these children, every year the candidates are younger and younger. Do they even have the strength to hold a weapon in their hands?"

Cid had built this place on place on the graves of others. "When will it stop? Can it stop?" Cid nearly begged for redemption. Nida knew the answer to the Headmasters questions, but would never voice it, except to himself. "I'll make them hold the weapons and wield without hesitation. It will never stop, the power is just beginning."

_Wretched. Undeserving_. Cid Kramer was the worst of them all. All this power held by such a feeble existence in this world.

(Cid's weakness: resentment)

This place had cost him most of his sanity. Nida witnessed with each passing week the man was a little bit more of a hallow shell. Nida became (_the pathetic asshole's_) Headmaster's confidant. He helped guide (push) Cid in the direction of retirement. His new puppet. Again, it became almost too easy. Nida got him to talk about his life with Edea before, when they were young and untainted by the atrocities of life.

Cid Kramer hated Garden. He hated the funerals, he hated the pretenses, he hated everything about what he had come to represent. What he had built. He wanted his life back, the one he left nearly thirty years ago. He wanted, he _needed _that life. His life.

Nida silently rejoiced the day Cid retired. It was his greatest accomplishment to date. _Ingenious. Unmatchable. _Nida was a God. (In his own mind.)

After Cid's departure Irvine and Selphie transferred to Trabia. They had given their 'reasons,' but Nida could see through their ruse. Selphie needed to fall back on something familiar and positive. Irvine to follow and pathetically chase a girl, like goddamned puppy. _Insignificant. Small._

Cid. (They all fall…)

_**Ace - Abandonment**_

The last obstacle to supremacy remained Squall Leonhart. Throughout everything, the commander stayed an obstinate façade. Poised and ready in the name of duty. _Arrogant. Overconfident._

Many thought the Commander's downfall would have been eliminating Rinoa Heartilly. Nida knew just the opposite. She had become his internal strength; his safe harbor in the storm. If he was to remove her Squall would initially be devastated, but his anger and rage would become unbalanced. Instability could be fatal in Nida's plan; he needed to predict his opponent's move. Nida was smarter than all of them. _Nida who?_

No, he needed something slow and methodical. Something that would tear away at the security he felt. Something that had deeply molded his persona today. Nida knew the Commander's downfall: his childhood relived.

(Squall's weakness: abandonment)

Nida hired a mercenary from Deling. It was to be a 'top secret' mission, very few knew of it. Only Nida knew of it, he had invented the lie. Ellone's life had been threatened, or so Nida's story went. It was an internal Garden assassination plan. A brilliantly constructed lie, even Nida had to admire the genius. So he told his hired puppet to bring Ellone to Balamb - where a safe house was waiting. The mercenary could not speak a word to anybody.

So the man went to Esthar in secret and found her walking along the sidewalk. He pulled her from the streets and showed her the "Garden orders," signed by the Commander himself. (_A superb forgery_) Ellone believed the lie. _Naïve. Childish. _Ellone believed in her younger brother.

When she and the hired soldier returned to Balamb, Nida meet them at a desolate location. They were not ever seen; Nida had hired a professional, the best. Of course, the best would be SeeD once Nida was in charge. Right now, Garden was a little more than a shameful joke.

Ellone was relieved to see Nida, a familiar face. She smiled. He smiled, but not for the same reason. He told her - he was personally sent by Squall for her protection. He touched her shoulder and offered false comfort. He excused himself, 'to brief her escort of the current situation.'

The mercenary thought he was going to collect his pay; instead, he collected his last breath. One down, one to go. Nida called Ellone out in a welcoming tone, saying he wanted her to see a young fawn in the meadow. A well timed Ultima spell was it took. Ellone was not a fighter, nor was she prepared to defend herself… It took several more spells to turn the body to ash – nobody would ever know where she went. There were no clues, no body, nothing to be found but unanswered questions. He was brilliant. _Astounding. Genius. The master puppeteer._

Squall held out hope at first, and when his hope died, Rinoa tried to remain strong. Even she couldn't reach him after a while. There was no resolution, no end, no body to even bring needed closure. There was nothing. Nothing at all. The Commander soon grew distant from everyone. When he did leave his dorm, he was a ghost of his former self. _Why would Sis leave again?_

After a few months, the students and staff came together to build a memorial. In fact, Nida headed the project to honor her memory. (A memorial to honor his accomplishments.)

The day Nida mixed the concrete to pour the foundation he added an extra ingredient – Ellone's ashes. (Nobody would know. It remained his secret.) Not only was this going to be a memorial to her life, but also the grave of her death. After six months of lost hope, Squall left Garden to stay in Esthar. Rinoa tried to follow, but he pushed her away. He would not be left again, he would abandon her first. That was safe.

Taking down the sorceress was an unexpected bonus for Nida. One he reminisced upon the day he was handed the reins of Garden. _Finally. His day._

He was here. He had done it.

Squall. (They all fall… down.)

Nida had built his house of cards. It was beautiful and grotesque. It was both intricate and simple. It was built by the blood and the fears of others; nobody would truly appreciate the beauty in his ascent. At night he would sit behind his desk and laugh into the sky, but never loud enough for anyone to hear. He sat there laughing at those who had fallen victim to his trap.

_**Joker - The Wild Card**_

One by one Zell watched them leave. Each event seemingly insignificant by itself. His friends, his comrades, had all moved on. He was still here. His home. Balamb. He never had aspirations of command, so he easily declined when the job had been offered to him first. (Nida never knew.)

Zell managed the best he could and found strength in his family. He stayed with his Ma on weekends; maybe it was easier than facing the ghosts at Garden.

It started as a game of Triple Triad with his neighbor, when it was over, it would be his epiphany.

His friend loved using various rules from around the world: same, plus, combo. Zell disliked many of the rules, but he was thankful for the evenings spent in the company of another. He was winning this round. In fact, after his last move, the eight remaining cards on the board were blue, his color. Then it happened, his opponent played his last card… and one by one each card was turned to pink. It was frustrating, Zell was angered. If it wasn't for these damn rules, he would have won the game.

His friend looked at him, "I guess if you build your house out of cards, it's bound to fall eventually."

Whatever. The rules were stupid. What kind of analogy was that anyway? There was no way that his friend could have known what Zell was going to do. It wasn't predestined. It was **luck** that his opponent had that final card left in his hand. **Luck**. Zell had not built a house of cards, but laid a foundation by solid moves. He _should_ have won.

His friend spoke again as if reading his thoughts, "I know how you play. We've been doing this every weekend for nearly a year. When we used the open rule, you showed your hand. "

Of course he showed his hand. It was the 'open' rule after all! How stupid did his opponent think he was?

"So you let me take your cards in the beginning?_ All_ of them?" Zell questioned.

"Yes," his friend answered with a defiant smirk. "It wasn't how I got there; it was only the end move that mattered."

"You're still an idiot Seifer," Zell grumbled irritably.

"No, just observant. I had to let you make those moves, so in the end, I could take it all. Each move, before the final one, was insignificant by itself. Yet, it was all part of my plan. It's a basic military strategy to know your opponent - better than they know themselves."

(Nida's weakness: himself)

Military strategy? Something seemed to click. If it was _luck _or not, would never be known. Zell thought about the last year. Could it be that simple? Was there a chance that each occurrence at Garden was not merely a random event? _Xu, Quistis, Cid, __and__ Squall? _Balamb Garden had lost its first four in command within an extremely short period. Nobody questioned each event individually, but as a whole? Who was to gain from the 'final' move?

It started with a single phone call and a (truly outrageous) theory the following day.

**First, Zell called Squall. **

The former Commander had left for Esthar to conduct his own investigation. He never found Ellone, but what he found instead was a father. Someone who was hurting just as greatly as him. Together they forged a new bond, never forgetting the past, but focusing on the future. Through his newfound resolve, Squall called Rinoa a few weeks ago. She traveled to Esthar. At first it was difficult; both doubted they could weather this storm. In the end, they had and found a way to grow closer through the adversity. Ellone would never be forgotten, in fact, it would haunt Squall forever, but he knew that she would not want to see what he had become.

_I love you Sis._

**Next, Squall called Xu. **

He asked her one simple question. "What did your orders say about the Grendel mission?" She told him what she read. What she knew – the orders she saw printed. Then he spoke the words that she needed to hear since that day, "I believe you."

Over the months she replayed the events continuously. However, one constant never wavered: her honor. She would not let those students deaths be in vain. She had already decided to return to Garden and make sure that history was never to be repeated. She would change protocols for junior missions. There would be ratios that would be followed and failsafe procedures that would be implemented. To hide in the past was not honorable, to protect the future was.

The screams of the children would never be forgotten, but at least now they could be avenged.

_I will always remember._

**Then Xu called Quistis.**

They had been friends when others might have veered. They had a bond forged through tragedy. Quistis, however, was already packed for Garden when she received the call. She had finished her sabbatical and reflected on her life. In the end, she decided one thing above all else: she was a teacher. In this case, in this instance, she was also the student. She made a difference; it just took some time away to fully comprehend.

Sometimes students were not cut out for this life. She could not make everyone into a SeeD, but she could give them the tools needed to succeed. How each student used them was solely their choice.

_I can only teach them, they must learn on their own._

**Finally, Quistis called Cid.**

He agreed to come back… for a while. However, unlike the others, he had found serenity in the absence. Garden had been a part of him for nearly three decades. He had seen enough bureaucracy and politics, death and pain. Now was time to live the life cut short many years ago. He would reopen the orphanage and use what resources they had to raise children – peacefully.

_I will help my children, all of them._

**They all returned.**

The group had turned this bloody game to their favor. Never once did they win a battle. But in one final move, the cards turned over one by one, and they won the war. Just as in the Triple Triad match, with the last card laid on the table, it tainted the 'color' of the board. (_The color of life_) It changed the ones losing, into the ultimate winners.

Nida had overlooked the Jokers in the deck. He never once thought of the wild cards. He had dealt the hand, but never checked for those two damn wild cards. _Zell. Seifer._

His fall, their rise.

Ellone was never found. It was assumed what had happened. It was closure in some macabre form. The memorial remained, the children's names added later. Ellone would watch over them. They would never know just how _close_ she truly was.

Nida looked out his window at the night sky laughing to himself. He had done it; he had ascended to the throne of power. He had fulfilled the promise he made to himself on the day he became a SeeD. Others would never know the true intricacy (_pure beauty_) of his plan. They could never understand. He was above them all.

His 'window' was now only an outline drawn on a cement wall. The 'sky' he looked into nightly – the darkness of his thoughts. Garden was his. His mind refusing to believe the concrete cell surrounding him.

The madness in his eyes never faded. His resolve as strong as ever as he continued to believe the illusions.

_Nida who? _The residents of Balamb Garden knew, every last one of them.

Today, if you asked what weapon Nida had used in battle, the overwhelming response: _his mind._

_A house built of cards, will always fall down..._


End file.
